Another Liberty Print Archer

May 21, 2015 Heather Gibson

Hello my internet friends! How are you all? I can't believe it's been 2 weeks since my last post! What up with that? Unfortunately, this isn't going to be a super unique post either as I have made yet another Archer shirt, but in my defence, I made it in some pretty awesome fabric, so there's that. And you get to see some dorky photos of me goofing around, so yay! I don't really have much to say about this pattern that I haven't already said. It's a really great TNT for me, and one of my favourites to see. I'm also having fun dreaming up different variations and fabric combinations. I sewed this shirt up in between some Ginger jeans, and I found it incredibly soothing and relaxing. Not only do I love wearing button up shirts, I really do love making them too.

For something a little different, I've paired this top with my linen Chardon skirt. I think it works well, although this combo does feel a bit office-y for this work at home girl.

I'm such a goof! John and I were having fun and I was super excited when we took these picture because I had just finished my first ever jacket (but more on that later).

This fabric is a gorgeous Liberty print that John picked out for me at Raystitch, when we were visiting London last year. I believe it's called Travelling Threads, and I love it! It has taxi cabs, buses, boats and bikes on it, with little flowers for pops of colour. It's a dream to wear and sew with too! I know everyone raves about Liberty fabric, but it really is amazing, and worth the splurge.

I decided to do tower plackets for the sleeves of this shirt. I have made them once before on my Crazy Cat Lady Archer, and they worked out really well again. I really love the look of tower plackets, so professional (although it looks like mine need a better press than I'd given them here.) I used self fabric for these ones, but they look super cool in a contrast fabric too.

If you want to give tower plackets a shot, then I recommend this tutorial. It's got lots of great pictures and it's easy to follow. Once you go through it and make one once, it really only takes minutes to do.

And because I can't wear a skirt without twirling around, here are some more derpy photos of yours truly. I try not to take myself too seriously. Can you tell?

Well that's it for now. I am quite behind in blogging as I have been favouring my spare time to sewing, rather than taking photos and writing. I do have a number of things to share with you including some tips for sewing jeans, a #sewingdare, and 3 more Archers. You can hardly wait right? Hope you all are having a lovely week!

Ginger A vs. Ginger B: What's the difference?

May 7, 2015 Heather Gibson

And no, I'm not talking about my adorable red-headed friends, I am talking about JEANS!So recently, I have been having some jean trouble. I made 3 pairs of Ginger Jeans, view A (the lower rise - stove pipe version), and they all fit pretty well. My first pair ended up being a bit too big, my second pair is pretty much perfect although a little on the low side, and my third pair is great (I raised the rise by 1"). I had heard/read lots of amazing things about view B, so I decided to give it a go. As you might imagine, they were a little too high for my petite and round figure, but still the fit was pretty good. So by this point, I thought I was good to go to cut into my beautiful Cone Mills denim, and this is where the trouble began. I shortened the rise of view B by 1 inch and off I went. Unfortunately (and surprisingly), the fit was not so good. Who knew lowering the rise would make such a difference in fit? Not me, obviously. ;) Luckily, I was able to salvage them. I'm not 100% happy with the way they fit, but they are definitely wearable. They won't be my garment of choice for road trips or large meals though. Anyway, I decided that I must have made some type of cutting error, or a seam allowance error, or that it might be the difference in denim and decided to try again. I cut out two more pairs (why cut out two pair, I don't know) and once again ran into similar issues. One pair I was able to save and one I couldn't (I haven't decide whether or not they deserve a blog post). Yes, I like to learn my lessons the hard way. Anyway, this sent me on a mission to figure out what went on. The first thing I decided to do, was to compare the pattern pieces of view A and B. For some reason, I never really thought that there would be much difference between the two views. I though the rise would be different, the yokes might be a little different, but I didn't really think that the crotch curve would be different. I don't know why I thought that? Anyway, there are definitely some differences, and although subtle, they can change the fit. So I thought I would share this info with you, in case you are having any issues with fit and in case you are curious as to what went wrong. You should also know when looking at these photos, that both my patterns are altered, view A by a 1 inch increase in the rise, and view B by a 1 inch decrease in the rise. So here we go, view A:

And view B:Can you a see a difference? I didn't actually measure them, but from looking at the photos, you can see that view A has a little bit shorter crotch curve, and there seems to be a bit more space in view B. The difference is especially noticeable in the front - it's a bit straighter too, if that makes sense.

You can also see that View A is bit straighter in shape, view B is curvy and the pocket shapes are slightly different. Here are the patterns overlapped with view B on top.

So only slightly different, but it's enough to really affect how the jean fits. Now lets take a look at the back:

So again, only slightly different, but enough to make a the jeans fit differently depending on your body shape. View B is on top again, and you can see how view A is much straighter than view A.

Okay, so how does this translate into fit on my body (I say my body, because that's what I'm working with here). Well briefly, if the crotch length is too long, then you'll know it because you'll have that drop-crotch, penguin kind of thing going on. If the crotch length is too short (like view B was on me), you'll wind up with smile lines, possible camel toe, and maybe even a bit of wedgie at the back (all technical terms I might add). The other thing to take note of, is where the waistband sits on your body. I think this has caused a lot of my fit issues. Where the waistband sits with my modified view B, is right across my chubby tummy. This causes the the fabric to pull and strain causing some crotch issues. Anyway, let's have a look at the two views made up, view B is on the left, and my latest view A is on the right (I am in love with how my rainbow topstitching turned out - so glad I tried it).

So it might be a little bit hard to tell, but see how there are less lines in the pair on the right? Remember that I did do some make-shift crotch alterations during the sewing view B so my fit issues aren't nearly as obvious as they were during my initial try-on, where as I did nothing of the sort for view A. Also notice that the waistband sits just slightly lower, which I think it more flattering on my figure, not to mention more comfortable. Also, notice how much flatter the fly is sitting in the view A pair on the right, and no pulling. I would say on the view B pair, the waistband is right on my belly button, and with view A it sits just under my belly button. You can see that the fabric is straining a little over my belly with view B too.

Oh I should also mention that I made the legs the same on each pair. I love skinny jeans, so I used the view B leg for both pairs (although I made the view A pair slightly shorter), and keep in mind the denim is different. The pair on the left is Cone Mills denim, and the pair on the right is Girl Charlee denim. I also don't get too worried about those back leg wrinkles. They don't really bother me, and you will always have some wrinkles because you need space to move.

In looking at these butt pictures now, I could probably scoop out the back crotch curve a tiny bit which might get rid of some of those drag lines right under my butt, but again, I'm not overly concerned about it as it's not affecting my comfort.

So my flaws are a bit on display here, but in looking closely at these I think the shorter yoke is more flattering for my shape (which is probably because I am petite, I'm only just 5'2" folks). I feel the wider yoke is squeezing my chub just a little bit more than in view A, this is probably because of my tummy pulling the fabric at the front, which is making it tight across the back. I do, however like the curviness of view B. You can see that view A doesn't curve quite as much at the back which is causing a teensy bit of gaping at the waistline. Plus there's something wonky going on with that one belt loop, but that was probably just a sewing mistake made in my excitement to get them finished. I'm impatient!

Okay, so what now. For me, I think that if I make view B again, I will keep the rise the same as in these pictures, but I'm going to do a bit of an alteration to give me just a touch more room across my belly. How would I do this? Well, I think I only need about a 1/2" or so total so I have a couple of choices. I could add a little bit of extra to the seam allowances on my front pattern pieces, 1/4" would probably do it (if you plan on doing this, don't forget to add to your pocket pieces and waistband too). Remember that whatever you add, will be doubled because you will have 2 front pieces, so if you add a 1/4" to your front pattern piece, you will end up with 1/2" total. The choice would be to do a bit of a slash and spread method. On the front pattern piece near the middle, I would cut a slit about 2 inches long (the length would be dependent on where my belly curves back into my body), spread it by about 1/4" and then tape some paper behind it. Kind of like a dart you don't sew. This would give me extra room over my belly without changing much anywhere else. You could also do this, right where the fly extension meet the front piece, you just have to be careful not to let your fly extension get too far off grain. I think the key to pattern alterations is that you have to think about how it will look in 3D. You are wrapping these flat pieces, around a round body. So that's what you are making space for. Does that make sense?

I will definitely be making view A again, and I think that I will use my view B pattern pieces to add a bit more curve to the yoke and outside seams without touching the rise or the crotch curve itself. I also might try curving the waistband just a little bit more and that might be enough. We'll see how that works out. There are defiantly more Gingers in my future. I love this pattern and while it is work, I am really enjoying the process of fitting, and with each pair, I get just that much closer to the Holy Grail of perfect fitting jeans. Plus I find sewing jeans quite satisfying. So please, if you haven't tried Ginger, don't let any of this scare you off. Fitting is not scary, it's just work, and in the end, it's totally worth it to have a TNT pattern, that you can just cut out anytime and know that it will fit perfectly.

Anyway, in no way, am I an expert, and if you are and you think I am totally nuts, please feel free to let me know. I was lucky enough to get some great help from Lisa (who is quickly becoming my fitting guru) and @maxitonia on Instagram, and I have read tons of articles and watched a great video or two. I also have Pants for Real People on order (I have Fit for Real People already and it's my go to book) and I look forward to learning more. I am hoping that by sharing my experiences you might learn something, but also that it might spark some ideas for you and your fit problems.

While I don't have any tutorials that I have written myself to share with you, I do have some great links for you:

http://www.afashionablestitch.com/2011/sewalongs/in-which-i-finally-talk-about-the-word/

http://www.afashionablestitch.com/2011/sewalongs/discussing-at-length-crotch-length/

I love this video by Professor Pincushion for lengthening and shortening crotch, it involves a fair bit of tracing, but I think it would be totally worth it (also she has the coolest fingernails):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jnVVhuoh7Y

So there you go. I hope this post helps you, and as always if you have any questions or if I can help you in anyway on your journey, email me, or leave a comment. I am pretty much sewing obsessed so I love talking about it, and I love to help.

And of course no post of mine would be complete without some gratuitous pug butts:

Happy Sewing Everyone!

PS: One more thing (seriously, can this post get any longer?), would anyone be interested in a Tips for Sewing Jeans post from me? I know there are a number of those out there already, but I have sewn 8 pairs now, which means I have learned some things about construction a long the way, and sometimes its good to hear things from different points of view. Anyway, let me know what you think, I'm happy either way.

The Cone Mills Gingers and My Me-Made Me Pledge

April 30, 2015 Heather Gibson

Hey Everybody! What's chippin' your potato? We are back in BC, and enjoying lots of rain and overcast weather. And even though it's grey, it's still quite warm and looking out at White Lake is so lovely that I never want to leave. Anyway, I think it's official, I am Ginger Jeans obsessed! Or as one of my lovely instagram friends (@carlalissa) pointed out, a few bars above obssesed (psychotically involved perhaps?). If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know I've been sewing up a jeans storm and having lots of issues along the way. I mentioned in my last Ginger Jeans post, that I had finally worked up the courage to cut into my Cone Mills denim (it's from the original jeans kit Heather partnered with Workroom Social to sell). So this is that pair. Anyway, I was pretty happy with how my View B (the highwaisted skinny) jeans fit overall, but I wanted to shorten the rise just a touch. So I lowered the front by 1 inch at the lengthen/shorten line in on the front leg pattern piece, then I shortened the back leg 1/2" at the lengthen/shorten line, and I also shortened the back yoke by 1/2" (I had to make my own line because there isn't one). I thought that if I removed the whole 1" from the back leg alone, the yoke would be really disproportionate and look weird.

So off I went sewing. Of course I like to live on the edge, so I didn't baste everything together and test the fit before I jumped in. This was probably a mistake, but I thought I was safe because I had made these up before and this denim seemed quite close in weight and stretch to the Girl Charlee denim I used for my last pair.

I got to the stage where both the front and back were done, I sewed up the inseam with topstitching and then decided to baste the side seams and try them on.

All of the sudden, there seemed to be some weird crotch issues going on. There was way too much fabric, and weird smile lines. I thought that maybe I had made a grave cutting error, or maybe I had used the wrong seam allowance somewhere. But after some double checking, I couldn't find a mistake. It was really quite weird.

So I grabbed the seam ripper, ripped out all of my inseam topstitching which was a big pain (I never did redo that inseam topstitching) and some of my beautiful front fly topstitching (I was convinced it was my best topstitching so far, so it was really hard to rip it out), and then I made some "on the fly" alterations. I took in the front crotch curve (to try and get rid of excess fabric) as much as I could with the zipper being there, and that seemed to help quite a bit. It's still not perfect and there are still lots of wrinkles, but the dark denim is pretty forgiving and they are still very wearable.

So the question is, what went wrong? I think there are a couple different variables. The denim is different. And I have to say amazing. The Cone Mills denim is lovely to wear, feels really sturdy but not stiff, soft but not wobbly, and it retains it's stretch really well. I can easily wear this pair for 4 or 5 days and they won't bag out. So there's that. But after further investigation (and making 2 more pairs - yes really) I think it has a lot more to do with the crotch curve, my shape, and the rise alterations that I did. I won't get too into it right now, because I am planning a separate post where I will go into much more detail, but I have discovered that where your waistband sits on your body can drastically alter how pants fit (I know, some of you might be like "Hello Heather, of course it does", but I never thought about it like this) and even tiny changes to the crotch curve can make huge differences too.

I also really struggled with my topstitching thread on this pair. When I initially tried them on and discovered my fit issues, a bunch of the topstitching popped. I'm sure you can imagine how I felt - the fit wasn't right, the topstitching popped, I almost tossed these in the bin! But I couldn't let them win - sometimes it's good to have a stubborn streak! Anyway, it was extremely frustrating, and I had to go back and re-do some of it. I even had to go back and re-do more after I washed them once, which is really not fun on assembled jeans. I've never had this happen to me before, and I have worn and washed all my previous pairs a ton and the topstitching has never popped, or broken like this. I think it might be the Gutterman Topstitching Thread included in the kit. It was my first time using it, and it was a bit weird. Maybe it's made for industrial machines? I've used other Gutterman topstitching threads and they've been fine, but they come on a different looking spool than this stuff, so I'm not sure if it's different. Anyway, I'm not going to use it again. I would love to know if any of you that bought the denim kit had this same issue. When I went back and replaced some of the popped stitching I used Coats & Clark denim thread and it worked just fine.

Oh one more thing: My Me-Made May pledge! May has really snuck up on me - how can it be May already!! I followed along with everyone on Instagram last year, and I loved it. It was so fun to see everyone rocking their handmade wears (wares?) and seeing how people actually wear the garments they make and incorporate them into their wardrobes - I am a big fan of the daily outfit photos too. I would have loved to play along last year, but I didn't have enough wearable garments, and to be honest I didn't know what it was until about a week in. This year, I am proud to say that I rock me-made clothes pretty much everyday, and my wardrobe of RTW just hangs in my closet looking sad most of the time. Anyway, if you want more info about it, see Zo's (the creator) post here. And here is my pledge:

I, Heather of Where Heather Grows, sign up as a participant of Me-Made-May '15. I endeavor to wear at least one me-made garment each day for the duration of May 2015!

Will you be playing along this year? I would totally encourage you even if you can only wear one handmade thing a week. It's a fun challenge and I think it's kind of cool being part of a group making a really big statement. Anyway, if you search the hashtag #mmmay15 on Instagram you are sure to see lots of cool outfits and find lots of amazing and inspiring makers. It's actually how I found a lot of the blogs and sewists that I follow now. Hope you have had a lovely April!

A Couple of Seamwork Patterns & A Giveaway!!

April 27, 2015 Heather Gibson

So way back at the beginning of March, Funki Fabrics contacted me with the offer of free fabric in exchange for a blog post mentioning their name and linking to their website. I have never been approached by any company to do something like this before, so I was extremely flattered to be noticed, but a little apprehensive. It did feel good to have a company say that they value my opinion as a sewist, but I do understand that they are getting the benefit of free advertising as well. I hummed and hawed for about a week about whether or not to do it. I mean there seemed to be a number of Funki Fabrics posts out there already (although not nearly as many as there are now), and honestly, it's not the type of fabric I normally would use (they specialize mainly in athletic and dancewear fabric - and let's be honest I'm not a good enough dancer to need dancewear and I am definitely not an athlete. Gym? What's a gym?). But in the end, the offer of free fabric and curiosity of what it might be like won out, and I decided to give it a go. I know that a lot of people have been made the same offer, so I'm sorry if this post is a bit redundant. A number of bloggers have made leggings and that seemed like the natural choice for me too, until I spotted this amazing cotton stretch fabric. I wasn't entirely sure what it would be like, but I requested it hoping it would be more my style, along with two other lycra prints for leggings (Funki Fabrics offered me 4m in total). Anyway, weeks went by, and no fabric. It seemed like it must have been lost in the mail or something. It was kind of weird, because I have never had anything go missing in the mail, plus around the same time that FF sent out my order, I had ordered some denim from Ditto Fabrics in the UK and it arrived in just over a week with no problems. Luckily, the lovely people at Funki Fabrics were kind enough to send out another package, and it arrived about a week later. I was pleasantly surprised by the cotton stretch fabric, it is super soft and has a great 4 way stretch. I've only washed it once, but it washed up well and seems like it won't pill over time. I was going to make a dress out of it, but I didn't have quite enough fabric for the pattern I had in mind (poor planning on my part). Anyways, as I was browsing through my pattern stash, I was also reading the April issue of Seamwork. So far, I haven't found very many of the Seamwork patterns super appealing, but there was something about that Astoria pattern that finally made me want to try one. And coincidentally, this Funki Fabrics cotton elastane flexlite was perfect for it. #winning

I had no idea what I would pair the Astoria with, so I decided I would just make the Bristol skirt from Seamwork too. It looked like a pretty good outfit on the model. I wasn't super in love with the skirt at first glance, I mean it has a kangaroo pocket - interesting detail perhaps, but not necessarily the most flattering. Anyway, it seemed like it would be a quick and easy sew, and sometimes you have to try something to know if you like it.

Both Seamwork pdfs went together okay, I had a bit of trouble getting the lines to match up on a few pages, but for the price, I'm not complaining too much. The Astoria was a super quick sew, constructed with my serger and then topstitched with my coverstitch machine. The fabric performed beautifully, and was a perfect match to this little crop top.

When I first tried on this skirt, I wasn't overly keen on it, but looking at it now in these photos, I think it's actually quite cute. I think that it would be better with side seam pockets on my figure. I have a tummy, so the pocket in front kind of accentuates that, rather than flatters, and I'm not 100% thrilled with the elastic waistband either. It's really comfy, but for some reason I find it a bit bulky. I did not like the way the pattern instructions had you attach the waistband. You sew up the back seam, then press it in half, then you put the elastic inside, stretch and pin it in place, then you attach the waistband to the skirt, whilst trying to stretch everything to match. Um what?? That was so ridiculous to me. Why not attach the waistband, leave an opening, insert the elastic, and stitch up the opening. The end result is the same. So weird, and lots of unnecessary struggling - I even broke a needle!! Ugh! Anyway, if you decide to make this skirt, you might want to change that bit of construction.

For Astoria, I made a straight size Large, and I think it fits really well. I am in love with the neckline, the length, and the hemband. For the Bristol skirt, I made a size 12 (based on my waist measurement I should have made a 14) and I would probably would have been happier with a size 10. I also had to shorten the skirt by 3 inches.

The fabric I used for the skirt is a nice rayon challis that John picked out for me at Walthamstow Market. It's nice and drapey and perfect for a summery skirt. I'm not sure how much I will wear this skirt. I'm trying to be a skirt person, but I just don't seem to be. The Astoria on the other hand will probably get lots of wear. I think it will be perfect over dresses and I think it will even work with high-waisted Gingers. I also think you could lose the band and add a skirt for a Moneta-like look.

So back to Funki Fabrics. I also chose two really cool lycra prints to make leggings out of, and I used my trusty Cake Espresso Leggings pattern. I love wearing leggings for lounging around the house, and I wanted to see what this dancewear fabric was really like. I am happy to report that it's super stretchy with amazing recovery, and it wasn't at all hard to work with. I thought lycra would be slippery and hard to cut, but this wasn't at all. I think if you are looking for cool fabric to make a swimsuit out of, or maybe some kind of athletic outfit, or even leggings, then this is the place for you. My little sister used to be obsessed with gymnastics when she was young, and she lived in spandex outfits because of her dream of becoming a gymnast. She would have loved and outfit made from this type of fabric. It's a little bit pricey (especially with shipping), but in my opinion, worth it for a speciality garment. They also have lots of stretch velvet, and I'm kind of kicking myself for not getting some of it. I may still, we'll see.... Anyway, here's my leggings:

You guys know I have a bit of a batman obsession right? That's what really sucked me in - Batman leggings? Yes please!!

And now what you've all been waiting for: THE GIVEAWAY. Just after I finished up my Astoria, the original package from Funki Fabrics arrived (I know because they sent one via Royal Mail/Canada Post and one via DHL). I'm not sure where it was, or why it took so long to get to me, but it finally came. I offered to send it back to Funki Fabrics as they had already been so generous with letting me try their fabric for free, but they decided that I could keep it and do with it what I see fit. I decided I would do a giveaway. So if you would like to win an exact replica of my order: 2 metres of a delicious cotton jersey-ish fabric, along with 1 metre of crazy Batman print lycra, and 1 metre of a psychedelic butterfly kaleidoscope lycra print, leave a comment below and I will enter you into the draw.

I will leave the draw open until Monday May 4th, and announce the winner on Tuesday May 5th. Seeing as it will be me footing the bill for the shipping, I will ship to anywhere in the world so you can enter from anywhere - yay for no restrictions! Good luck everybody and happy sewing!

****This giveaway is now closed - to see who won click here.****

High-waisted Ginger Jeans (View B)

April 9, 2015 Heather Gibson

Hey Everybody!! How's spring treating you? (Or Fall I suppose depending on your hemisphere). Or I've heard some of you out east are still suffering with winter. Blah!! Come on Mother Nature!! It's starting to warm up in Cowtown (Calgary), but right now we are at the cabin at White Lake (near Salmon Arm in British Columbia) and it's super springy here. There is still a bit of a chill in the air, but it's sunny, and as long as you stay in the sunshine, it's feels warm. Anyway, I've been going jeans crazy! I want to make all the jeans! I finished these bad boys about a week or so ag0, and I am now working on another slightly modified pair using my kit denim. Yep! I finally worked up the courage to cut into the beautiful Cone Mills denim I purchased from Closet Case Files months ago. I am really excited to see how it wears, but so far it feels wonderful. But enough about that, let's get to the pair at hand: the High-Waisted Gingers. I have wanted to try out Version B of this pattern for quite some time now. There have been all kinds of amazing looking high-waisted Gingers out there, and every time a new pair popped into my blog feed, I thought "I gotta try those". So I finally put the pdf together (which went swimmingly, by the way), traced it off, cut it out and got to work.

Full disclosure: I would never tuck my shirt in like this, but I wanted you to be able to see just how high-waisted these bad boys are, and how they look on a round, smooshy, vertically challenged figure such as mine. I made a size 10, and didn't change anything except to shorten the legs (at the lengthen/shorten line) by 2 inches.

Unfortunately, when you can see the whole jean, I don't think it is the most flattering garment for me. I think rather than suck things in, they just squish things around. That being said, I think they look great with my t-shirt untucked. I also think if I would have went with pocket stays, that may have helped quite a bit too. From now on, I will always make pocket stays!

I do totally dig the vintage/retro feel of the high-waisted jeans, especially with cuffs and paired with my chucks. (Shanny is going for the money shot in this pictureˆ - she's such a ham.)

Here's the back, again I think they look great with my t-shirt down, but not so much with my t-shirt tucked in. The yoke is much to long for me, and the pockets need to be moved up a tiny bit.

I think with some minor tweaking, this version will look really great. I'm just a bit too petite/short-waisted for it as is. My plan for the next pair is to shorten the rise a little (about an inch), and for the back I will take that same length out of the back leg and the yoke (so 1/2" each).

The fabric I used for this pair is some of that designer denim that Girl Charlee has been selling. It's my second pair using their denim, and I am happy to report that it's really nice. The recovery is great, and it seems to stand up well to multiple washes. I don't think they have this exact fabric in stock anymore, but they do have some other ones that look promising.

Something I did differently with this pair is that I used a different topstitching thread. Instead of going with my usual Gutterman topstitching thread, I used some heavy weight, lavender Sulky thread (specifically it's called Premium Sulky Heavy 12 Wt. Mercerized Cotton - it comes in tons of colours which is awesome). It worked great! I had way less issues with my machine being finicky and getting thread caught in the bobbin area, and it was so much easier to make bartacs with. I also used a topstitching needle, instead of a denim needle and I think that really helped too.

So I could easily end this post here, and you could go off thinking that everything is hunky dory over here in the Where Heather Grows sewing land, but that would not be true. After I wore these jeans for a couple days, I decided that the waistband was just not comfortable. It felt great when I was standing, but when I sat for more than about 10 minutes they felt really uncomfortable. The waistband was digging into my belly, and I just didn't like it! I had used denim for both my waistband and the facing (which I didn't do on my previous pairs - I used quilting cotton for the facing), ao I decided that this was the problem. The denim was making the waistband too stiff. I debated just leaving it, but then I thought, "No way, then they'll just sit in my cupboard and I won't wear them". And otherwise these are a perfectly wearable pair of jeans, and the curiosity cat part of me really wanted to know if changing the waistband would help. So off I went, I cut myself a new waistband (I'm short so I had extra denim leftover) and a new facing out of some quilting cotton. Then I patiently and carefully unpicked the waistband. Everything was going great until I pulled up the zipper, and completely pulled the zipper pull right off!!

I was so choked! Anyway, still not wanting a pair of jeans I worked so hard on to go to waste, I proceeded to repair the zipper. I did a google search, but I couldn't find a way that I would be confident with, to put the zipper pull back on. So I unpicked the whole fly, and inserted a new zipper. It was not easy, and I ended up having to redo the topstitching around the fly (four times!!), but I got it done. Then I installed the new waistband, and I am happy to report, they are much comfier!! Yay!!

Unfortunately, I have started work on another pair of Gingers (yes, those kit denim ones I mentioned above) and I am having all kinds of problems with them too. I'm not sure what went wrong, but I was thinking that everything was going great, my topstitching was looking awesome (probably the best I've ever done) and then I got to the place where I could try them on. The topstitching proceeded to come loose in a couple different places (what's up with that?) and for some reason, the fit in the front is all screwed up (I'll spare you a photo but lets just say there is a toe of the camel variety and it is very unwelcome!). I do not know what I have done. I didn't change anything with the crotch curve, and I don't know what is going on with the topstitching. The only thing I can think of is that the topstitching thread that came with my kit is either a) too heavyweight for my machine or b) faulty. And I must have screwed up a seam allowance or something for the fit. Anyway, last night was a dark night full of feeling sorry for myself, ice cream, and wanting to cry over my horrible sewing skills, but after some great pep talks from my Instagram buddies (thank you all so very much!), and a good night's sleep, I am feeling much better. I'm going to try and salvage this project, but in the end if I can't, then I'll just throw it in the bin and move on. I mean, it's only fabric (and yes it's really gorgeous Cone Mills denim fabric) but no one's going to die if they end up in the trash. I mean it's not open heart surgery or something like that. And we all know I have lots more jeans, so I don't have to go naked. Anyway, I think it's really good to share my fails, and my faults too, so there you have it!

Sending you all lots of good sewing vibes and hoping you aren't having any disasters like me (but if you are, trust me it will get better!).

One last Maui Post: Marianne Tees and Juba Shorts

March 31, 2015 Heather Gibson

Hello my sewing friends (and non-sewing friends too)! I can't believe how fast time is flying. It's the end of March already? What?!? Nothing like some jet-lag and facing reality to make you procrastinate about blogging. I am happy to report that I am feeling much more like myself again, and am ready to get back on the blogging wagon. With that, I have a couple more summery makes left over from my Maui wardrobe to share with you.

When I tried on my Marianne dresses and discovered how nicely they fit, I decided to make a few t-shirts too. I just cut the pattern off at the lengthen/shorten line and used the skirt hem to shape the t-shirt hem. It worked out really nicely. And made for a super quick sew! For two of them, (the navy one and the mint one) I added cuffs to the sleeves. I'm not sure if I love how it looks but, I don't mind it, and it looks much better in the drapier knit than in the more stable one.

This first Marianne Tee is made with some slubby jersey I bought ages ago from Wanderlust Fabrics. It's soft and light, and perfect for a summery tee. I find it kind of funny that I've been drawn to mint lately without even knowing it (the pug dress, one of my Marianne dresses, and now this tee). I've paired these shirts with my go to shorts - the Juba Shorts by Imagine Gnats.

For this little denim pair I added back pockets (I used the pattern piece from Grainline's Maritime shorts) and I just rolled them up for a cute cuff. Sorry about the wrinkles, these pictures were taken on the walk home from lunch so I had been sitting in them all day.

Next up, this pair of Juba shorts I made up in a quilting cotton from my stash, which also got the added back pockets (in fact they all did). The Juba shorts pattern fits me so well right out of the "envelope" and I have found it looks really different depending of what fabric you pair it with. It's a really great pattern, and there's a Men's version included too!

I didn't get any close-ups of the waistband, but the Juba shorts have an elasticized back waistband combined with a flat, drawstring front waist band. Super comfy! On all three pairs I used some twill tape for the drawstring as it hides nicely under a t-shirt and doesn't add bulk.

Again, I apologize for the wrinkles, but come on, I was on vacation. I didn't want to iron! This navy Marianne Tee is made out of a cotton spandex jersey from Girl Charlee, and I actually think it is a bit too heavy for what I was after with summery t-shirt. Although I do like that it has a slight peplum look to it (which I seem to be hiding with my arms in all of the pictures).

This last pair of Juba shorts are a little bit dressier in a stretch cotton sateen I picked up in the clearance section of my local Fabricland. It has a really nice weight and I love the colours. I had originally bought it with a pencil skirt in mind, but I think it works really well with these shorts.

And last but not least, one more Marianne tee:

I didn't add the cuffs to this one, and I really didn't miss them. It's made out of a nice floral cotton knit I also bought from Girl Charlee. For a t-shirt, I know some of you might think the neckline on the Marianne is a bit high. But for a pale skinned Canadian girl like myself, it was actually really nice. I have burned my chest so many times, because I forget to put sunscreen on it, and for the most part, it doesn't get much sun which makes it extra sensitive. It was nice to have these tees in rotation on our trip to save my delicate skin. Actually, this last photo was taken on the day we left (hence the jeans) and you can tell I pretty much avoided any sunburn at all so - yay me!

So there you have it, my complete travel wardrobe. It feels good to have this post done and out of the way. Now onto more sewing!

Hope the weather is starting to warm up wherever you are; it's been gorgeous this week here in Calgary.

The Maui Plantains...

March 22, 2015 Heather Gibson

So on a trip to Maui, not only do you need some cute dresses, you also need some easy basics too. Enter the Deer & Doe Plantain pattern (and if you don't have it already, go get, it's free and it's awesome!).

I've made this pattern a number of times, and it's super easy to whip up.

This one is made from a gorgeous bamboo jersey knit from Blackbird fabrics. This fabric is super drapey and feels amazing. It's so dreamy! Where has bamboo jersey been all my life?? It's also nice and breathable, so feels cool against the skin.

Also pictured are a pair of Carolyn shorts. I made them out of a lightweight denim that came from Joann's (when we were in Palm Dessert last November). It might be a little grandma-walmart-jeansish, but it's soft and comfy and I think it works as long as I keep the elastic waistband hidden. I was a little worried that these might be a little too short for wearing out of the house, but once we got to Maui, this fear disappeared. I have worn them here a ton! I'll probably make another pair or two for the summer out of different fabric (I'm thinking linen or a cotton/linen blend of some sort). I think they would also be really cute with back pockets added.

This Plantain is made from a lovely knit I got from Wanderlust Fabrics. I can't remember the content exactly, but I think it's got a bit of rayon in it as well. I got it months ago when my hair was pink, and I've been saving it for when my hair would inevitably change and wouldn't clash as much. I used to have a RTW shirt with the same colour of stripes and I loved it, so when I saw this fabric I bought a yard with plans to make a t-shirt.

Can you see the micro stripes? This fabric is super nice and soft too and was really nice to work with.

Paired again with my Carolyn shorts. Told you I wore them a lot!

This lovely purple Plaintain is made from a cotton spandex jersey from Girl Charlee. It's not quite as drapey as the other two, but just as comfy.

All three of these tees are a straight size 44, and I shortened them by about 2 inches after I made them. They were all constructed with my serger and topstitched with my converstitch machine.

With this one, I am wearing my very first pair of me-made shorts (I made them last summer). I used the Juba shorts pattern and if you are interested, you can read my post about them here.

We are getting ready to head home tomorrow. It's been a lovely trip, but I'm ready to get home to the pugs, and to sleep in my own bed, and to sew!! I can't believe how much I've missed it.

What do you miss most when you go on holiday? Do you miss your hobbies too?

Tropical Pyjamas

February 25, 2015 Heather Gibson

Hey everybody! It's finally time for something different! Pyjamas - with piping and everything! I'm sure by now, most of you have seen Heather Lou's latest pattern (and if not, head over to Closet Case Files and check it out). This time it's all about upping your lounge wear game and I am all for that. John recently bought me some pyjamas (for Christmas) and I absolutely love wearing them. I never used to be a full set type of girl. I used to only wear pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt, but this latest pair I own has changed my thinking. They are flannel (kind of like these but with penguins) and snuggly, and I love wearing them as a set. Who knew matchy-matchy could be so fun? Anyway, being a new full pyjama set convert, I was thrilled to see this new pattern for the Carolyn Pajamas. I really love all the versions included with this pattern, and that they are designed to be fitted, feminine, flattering and comfy, not the usual boxy unisex business. This girl likes to lounge in style. Plus, I will be way less embarrassed answering the door in the middle of the afternoon in these babies, than in my usual pug-hair covered yoga pants and ratty t-shirt. (Heather Lou the UPS man thanks you too.)

I have never sewn with piping before, nor have I sewn a notched collar, so I decided I would try the shorts version first (version C). It seemed like less fabric so a good place to start just in case I made of mess of them. I should also mention that the pdf went together really well. All of the markings match up, and I like how you can print the top, pants and shorts separately. Also, I love that you can put the pattern pieces together individually. I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, but you don't have to stick all the pages together to form one giant paper. You can put the first 2 pages together for 8 or 9 rows, then the 3rd and 4th pages together for 8 rows and have all the pattern pieces. Here, I'll show you the layout so you can see what I'm talking about.

Hopefully, it's okay that I show you that little diagram, but do you see what I mean? Closet Case Files' pdfs are really well thought out, and always a breeze to put together.

I made up a quick muslin of the shorts in some cheap rayon I had lying around before I cut into this tropcial gorgeousness. I chose the size 10, but found the shorts a little too snug for pjs, so for this version I made a straight size 12 for both the shorts and the top, and I think they both fit perfectly! In fact, I can't really get over just how perfect the fit of the shirt is. I mean check out those shoulders. Once again, it feels like Heather Lou drafted this pattern just for me.

The fabric is a really gorgeous tropical print rayon voile from Blackbird Fabrics. When I saw it I knew it was destined to be warm weather pyjamas so I snapped it up right away. Unfortunately, I think it is now sold out. Have you ever sewn with rayon voile before? I hadn't until this, and let me tell you it is amazing! This fabric is so incredibly soft, and flowy, and silky, and it was a dream to sew with. I wish I could send each of you a little swatch of it, so you could feel it. It's beautiful! And it makes for an uber luxurious set of pyjamas.

I went with store bought piping that I picked up at my local Fabricland. I think it looks okay, but it's a little stiff and bulky (the shorts can almost stand on their own). For my next pair I will either make my own smaller piping, or go with flat bias tape piping. I think this stuff might be more suited to pillows and cushions and what not. This was my first time piping anything and I was a little nervous but it went okay. I started with the shorts and my stitching doesn't look the greatest when you get really close up, but I'm okay with that. I mean, who's going to be getting that close to my cuffs while I'm in my pyjamas anyway? The pugs maybe, but they love me and I feed them, so they can overlook wonky stitching every now and then.

After struggling a bit with piping the shorts (I started off using my zipper foot, then my regular foot which worked better than my zipper foot but still wasn't great), I ended up buying a piping foot for my darling Pfaff and it made a world of difference. So if you plan on doing much piping work I would definitely recommend getting the proper foot. It made my life so much easier, and it made my sewing look a lot better too! By the time I got to the cuffs on the shirtsleeves, I felt much more confident in my piping abilities.

I also struggled a little bit with the notched collar too, but I am confident that my next one will go much smoother. The instructions were fine, but I still consider myself a beginner sewer, and I am definitely someone who needs to do things at least once to figure them out, so I know next time will be a lot easier. And also since I made these, Heather Lou has added a tutorial to her website that is quite helpful for visual learners like myself.

All in all, I am thrilled with how these turned out and I can't wait to make more. I already have a stash of fabric reserved for more sets. My dream is to have a set of these to wear everyday for every season. They are like my version of the leisure suit.

Do you wear pyjamas? And if you do, do you wear the full set, or just one piece? Also what do you think of the pyjama on the street fashion trend? Would you wear them out of the house?

PS: This post comes to you live from Las Vegas. John is here for business and I tagged along. I thought it would be cute to photograph these in the hotel room, but it ended up just being a little creepy so John ended up taking my picture by the window instead of on the bed. LOL

Hello! I'm Heather and welcome to my blog. I love pugs, fabric, travelling, and I'm obsessed with sewing. Please have a look around, make yourself at home, and let me know if you need anything. If you'd like to know more about me click here.

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